Spanish
Banco Popular Dominicano, within the framework of its participation in the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) 2026, reaffirmed its leadership as the main financial entity in the country's tourism sector, by announcing that the balance of its total portfolio dedicated to this tourism sector amounts to US$1.9 billion, including here the financing of the banking entity and Popular Bank, the banking subsidiary of Grupo Popular that operates from Panama with an international license. This figure includes both currently active loans and credit facilities already approved and pending disbursement.
This result reflects a long-term relationship with the tourism industry for over three decades, a sector whose potential Banco Popular identified in a pioneering way and accompanied in its growth in a sustained manner and with a specialized portfolio and team, contributing to its consolidation as one of the main drivers of the Dominican economy.
Thanks to this financial backing, Popular's clients have been able to build and renovate more than 32,000 hotel rooms, as well as strengthen and diversify the complementary tourism offer, promoting projects linked to services, infrastructure, logistics, and experiences associated with the tourism ecosystem. This support has allowed the generation of more than 29,000 direct jobs and more than 87,000 indirect jobs, positively impacting multiple communities in the country.
This information was shared during a meeting with representatives of the media, led by the executive president of Banco Popular Dominicano, Mr. Christopher Paniagua, who highlighted the good moment that the Dominican Republic is experiencing in the eyes of international investors:
"At Banco Popular, we firmly believe in the potential and the high level of maturity that Dominican tourism has reached, now converted into one of the main poles of attraction for international investment. We are not only the bank that finances the most tourism projects in the country; we are, above all, the financial partner of reference for the sector. Our leadership is based on the trust built, on the depth of our relationships and on a long-term commitment to the growth, innovation and transformation of our clients," said the executive president of Popular. More investment and new projects for tourism development During the year 2025, Banco Popular financially supported about 15 tourism projects, both in the East zone and in the North region of the country, and currently has about 17 projects in the pipeline to be evaluated, whose total investment will exceed US$2.3 billion with potential financing of US$1.3 billion that will impact more than 7,000 rooms, contributing to about 6,000 new direct jobs and 18,000 indirect jobs, also distributed between the North zone and the East zone. Looking ahead to 2026, the financial entity already has an estimated amount of US$400 million in approved and pending credit facilities, which guarantees the continuity of strategic projects and the incorporation of new investments in hotel infrastructure and associated services. Commitment, innovation, and vision for the future As part of its agenda at FITUR 2026, Banco Popular will develop a program focused on continuing to boost tourism financing, promoting a more diversified offer of the destination, and strengthening strategic relationships with the different actors in the sector. In this context, the entity has scheduled nearly forty meetings with hotel chains, developers, and national and international tour operators. 50% of these meetings will focus on studying financing formulas for new projects, of which four correspond to investors who had not yet invested in the country. In addition, four of the business meetings planned at this FITUR will be held with clients from major hotel multinationals, who are looking for a structuring project similar to the one that Popular agreed with Meliá Hotels International in 2025 and which was recognized as "Transaction of the Year" by ASONAHORES (Hotel and Tourism Association of the Dominican Republic). On that occasion, the guild described said operation as a before and after in the way in which tourism investments are conceived and executed in the country, which places Popular as a regional benchmark in financial structuring for the hotel sector. This innovative transaction consisted of structuring the acquisition of 25% of the companies that own the Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa and ZEL by Meliá hotels, located in the country, while also being completed with direct long-term financing from the bank. Financial relationship of decades Beyond the volume of financing granted and the structuring of transactions, Popular's leadership is also expressed in the depth of the financial relationship it maintains with many of its tourism clients, with whom it has been collaborating for decades, which demonstrates a level of trust, connection and excellence in service that distinguishes the banking institution. Along with Mr. Christopher Paniagua, the following individuals participated in the meeting with the media: Mr. Luis E. Espínola, Senior Executive Vice President of National and International Business; Antonia Antón de Hernández, Senior Executive Vice President of Human Management, Cultural Transformation, Credit Administration and Compliance; Robinson Bou, Executive Vice President of Business and Investment; José Mármol, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Reputation and Responsible Banking of Grupo Popular; Juan Manuel Martín de Oliva, Vice President of the Tourism Business Area; José Hernández Caamaño, Vice President of the Engineering and Maintenance Area; Mariel Bera, Vice President of the Corporate Relations and Responsible Banking Area; and Karina Vallejo, Senior Manager of the Tourism Business Division. Also present were Mr. Eugene Rault Grullón, Executive Vice President of Popular Digital Services; Luis José Jiménez, Executive Vice President of AFP Popular; and José Manuel Cuervo, Vice President of the Securities Market Subsidiaries Area of Grupo Popular.
